Last Monday evening, a contingent of Kenton brothers led by WB Mike Milford (also known as the “Kenton Horde”) descended on Mary’s River Lodge no. 221 in Corvallis to witness and participate in their double Entered Apprentice Degree.
In addition to WB Milford, the following brothers were also in attendance:
- WB Dale Palileo, Secretary
- Honored Brother Kevin Johnson, Senior Steward
- Honored Brother MJ Gold, Junior Steward
- Brother Entered Apprentice James Montgomery
WB Palileo participated in the degree by serving as Chaplain for the opening and closing ceremonies, as musician during the first section and giving the lecture of the degree.
After the ceremonies, WB Milford formally requested the lodge’s Traveling Gavel—a Masonic tradition in which a visiting lodge, represented by five or more members, may claim the host lodge’s gavel. The gavel is then held until the host lodge makes a reciprocal visit, also with five or more members, to retrieve it—thus encouraging fraternal visitation and strengthening relations between lodges.
Since the rise of the Kenton Horde in 2019, Kenton Lodge has claimed more than twenty Traveling Gavels from lodges throughout the jurisdiction—each one earned through fellowship, coordination, and presence. Only a select few have been reclaimed through determined reciprocal visitation. The gavel of Mary’s River Lodge No. 221 stands as the first conquest of the year and sets the tone for what promises to be another bold season of fraternal pursuit.
In addition to the Traveling Gavel, Mary’s River Lodge’s Worshipful Master also presented each visiting brother with the lodge’s coin, a simple yet powerful gesture of gratitude and strong fraternal relations between the two lodges.
The double Entered Apprentice Degree marks a significant milestone for Mary’s River Lodge no. 221, which has not seen a candidate since the end of the Covid pandemic.
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